What's your Build Pace this year?
 

Hi everyone!

Well, it's about two weeks into this build season. At about this point, the majority of teams have put something together, even if it is just part of the chassis and a prototype or two.

So, I'm wondering, in your opinion: Is your team further towards robot completion than it usually is at this point? Are y'all working at the same speed as always? Or is this year a slow one for you?

Our team, for one, is working quite a bit faster than we have in previous years, but that may just be because we have a better mind-set and a record number of juniors and seniors.

I'm looking forwards to your thoughts :)

-Thromgord

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

It's strange, we initially thought that once we determined the strategy and the corresponding design to compliment it, we thought that it would be a breeze since we've used all of the mechanisms in previous years so there would be no real impediments to a quick construction. YEAH RIGHT. As always, we re-evaluate each and every part and design feature to determine how to make it lighter, more robust, and most importantly, more efficient. Although we don't really change the design (making 3D CAD team happy), we have had a few ah ha moments this year when we've realized serendipitous discoveries which HAD to be added.

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

Currently our competition robot is finished and drive practice is starting!

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

The difference in build pace between this year and last year has blown my mind.

Last year, with Ariel Assist, we worked up to the deadline, duct-taping weights onto the robot just before we bagged and tagged. This year, we are almost competition ready now at the end of Week Two.

I believe that part of this increased building speed is due to the ease of Recycle Rush compared to Areal Assist. Last year, we had to make robots capable of chucking exercise balls with power and accuracy. This year, we get to make forklifts!

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

It feels like we're about on pace with last year on the whole. Drive was pretty much together by this point last year, but this year we have a drive system with more...configuration. (Which is a fancy way to say we're having to make some more custom spacers and adjustments to get it how we want it.) But on the flip side, last year we were far more stymied on our ball shooter and intake, while this year we have CAD that's about 85% on our mechanisms.

I still expect us to cut it about as close as we did last year (11:58 on the Bag & Tag log).

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

Last year was bad, to say the least.
This year, we are doing so much better.

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

Our base is basically done and we are perfecting our manipulators through continued prototyping. In about a week, we should have a viable robot - though we'll still have plenty of adding/tweaking/adjusting to do to keep us busy for another three weeks.

For those of you who are done with your competition robot: How? Or, perhaps I should ask: What does it do and how well/quickly?

We, for instance, were looking at a couple of forklift designs, but had the goal of being able to create a full stack (recycling container, pool noodle, six totes) in under 30 seconds - including drive times, gathering and stacking. We could not find a way to do it with forklifts, so we abandoned them in favor of an internal stacking machine.

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

Aerial Assist
- Not enough designing
- Final build within first week
- Tweaking "final" build
- Programming was a nightmare
- Worked to midnight deadline
- No testing whatsoever
- Roles all mixed up

Recycle Rush
- CAD EVERYTHING
- Will not start building competition frame until CAD is done
- Programming is a lot better (because I'm not doing it :P)
- Testing every little thing as we go along
- Defined roles

We did a lot of administrative rebuilding in the off season and it's going along much better now. Last year was just terrible in terms of workflow.

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

faster than usual.

needless to say, we will get complacent, so the last two weeks will be worse than usual.

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

About on pace to last year to slightly slower. Last year we didn't drive until week 4, but we were also shooting same day and autonomous was pretty good in the next few days.

This year, we should be driving about the same time, but product delays (REV extrusion and bearings) will hold up finishing the elevator for a bit.

So maybe not the best, but it should all be wrapped up before Feb 17. Just so long as we have no repeat of 2011 with designing our elevator grabber in week 5.

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

This year we have a young design team as far as experience goes so that may be a factor in our slower pace. As well we have a pretty aggressive idea that needs a lot of work in the design and CADing stage. I feel that once we have our chassis together and our parts back from our sponsor who cuts many of our parts we will progress quickly. We have a strong and experienced fabrication team.

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

Should start building the frame tomorrow, still arguing a few points on our manipulators but the concept is pretty set. This is my first year with this team and I feel behind compared to the pace of the past two years with 167. The students are ecstatic about how much we've already accomplished compared to last season for them though and considering we got registered to even compete by the skin of our teeth this season I suppose we aren't doing too bad. I just hope part supplies aren't an issue for us.

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

It's wonderful (and slightly worrying) to see that a lot of teams are doing so well in terms of build speed. Nice job everyone!

One thing that we did differently this year is we finalized electrical board design and started building it very quickly. Most of the time, our robot is mostly done before the electrical board... but this year, our board was finished at about the same time as our chassis... which was really great.

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

The same as every other year*: not fast enough.

*Except 2005.

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

Last year, we did a better job then ever before with keeping up with our goal pace. This year, we've done even better and pushed for a more aggressive schedule. We didn't expect to be able to meet it, but so far we have been successful!

We managed to get a design that we agreed on after only a few days of prototyping and at this point have most components built so we can go ahead and start wiring and programming.

Something that's really helped us is making a calendar, having officers and mentors approve it, and sticking with the calendar as best as possible.

_______________
Mackenzie Glaser
Team 1261

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

Last year we didn't really start building until halfway through the season. This year, we already have our chassis, a solid plan, and most of our arm :D

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

It looked sooooo good on paper! Now its toilet tissue !!!!

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

We just finished chassis tonight and are sending our CAD drawings out to get cut by a sponsor. Should have those parts by Friday. Then hopefully we can asseble it pretty quickly. All the parts should fit nicely because we CADed them first.

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

This year our build pace has increased exponentially; we have gotten a chassis, lift, and electronics almost done on our prototype. This year we are trying to stick to our calendar and get our prototypes finished as soon as possible so we can start driver practice and our final robot. The calendar was made the week before kickoff to not be influenced by the game. So far our productivity has been exponentially better compared to past years.

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

We are currently sending pieces in to be manufactured, and we have the base electrical of our robot done. In my opinion, we are pretty behind, but I hope that we will finish with a good robot.

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

Practice robot drivetrain and electrical done. Practice robot elevator 90% done. Can grabber prototype done. Parts ordered for competition robot drivetrain, will be cut out later this week.

A couple days behind our target schedule, but still OK.

Re: What's your Build Pace this year?
 

Last year was our rookie year and we had problems . This year with 95 percent
new kids they hit the ground running . Had the base built two days after kick off and this is a photo of the robot at week 3 .

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/img...e44c2d88_l.jpg

This is a photo of there drive station just built yesterday.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

We were also able to afford to go to two regional this year.
So we are doing much better this year.:)